Nurse caught snooping on medical records receives suspension

A 12-month suspension has been handed to a senior nurse caught snooping on medical records during the course of her employment with University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust.

It’s understood that a total of 13 charges were brought against Carol Ann Rodda who was found to have been improperly accessing records over a period of nine months. The data she accessed included that of family members and colleagues.

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has had to deal with a number of cases where healthcare staff have been caught snooping on medical records. It can be a common problem, and it’s one where the victims can be entitled to make a claim for data breach compensation.

Senior nurse caught snooping on medical records

The fact that this was a senior nurse caught snooping on medical records makes the incident even more worrying.

Clearly, the nurse ought to have known that her actions were in breach of important data breach laws. Despite this, she used her access credentials to look at information without any proper reason or authority to do so, which is not allowed.

She reportedly attempted to defend the charges brought her against her with suggestions that someone else had accessed her unlocked user account to commit the breaches. The nurse also reportedly failed to attend the hearing where the charges were brought against her.

A blatant abuse of access rights

Any incident of a nurse caught snooping on medical records is a blatant abuse of their ability to access personal and sensitive information. NHS data breach compensation claims are one of the most common types of cases we take forward, and data breach compensation amounts in cases like this can be high.

The exposure of medical information – which is incredibly personal and sensitive – can have a huge impact on the victims. There’s no excuse for this type of behaviour, and it’s right that perpetrators should face charges and be properly punished for breaking the law.

What can you do if this happens to you?

In a case where a nurse caught snooping on medical records has been identified, what can you do as a victim whose information has been improperly accessed?

Depending on the nature and the extent of the information exposure, you may be entitled to make a claim for data breach compensation. We may be able to represent you on a No Win, No Fee basis, and we’re happy to assess your potential case on a free, no-obligation basis.

Don’t hesitate to contact the team for more advice.